PM CARES Fund allocates two 250-bed makeshift COVID hospitals in West Bengal

In a major development, the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund Trust has decided to allocate Rs. 41.62 crores for the establishment of two 250 bedded makeshift COVID Hospitals by DRDO at Murshidabad and Kalyani inWest Bengal.

As per the official press release, certain infrastructural support would also be provided by the State Government and the Union Health Ministry. It also said that proposal will augment health infrastructure in West Bengal to effectively manage the COVID situation.

The PM CARES Fund Trust had, in its endeavour to support the augmentation of health infrastructure, helped establish COVID Hospitals in Bihar, Delhi, Jammu, and Srinagar also, the official release added.

COVID restrictions extended in Bengal

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, June 14 announced the extension of COVID restrictions in the state. The Supremo of Bengal extended the restrictions till July 1 with exemptions on essential services. However, a few notable relaxations were also informed by Banerjee that will help to return normalcy back in the state to a certain level. The state will however witness restrictions upon education institutes and waterways. The movement of private vehicles and transportation services have also been ordered to remain suspended except for emergencies. The movement of people was ordered to be restricted between 9 pm and 5 am.

COVID death toll breaches 17K mark in Bengal

The COVID-19 death toll in West Bengal crossed the 17k-mark after 75 more people succumbed to the disease on Tuesday, the state health department said. The tally of positive cases went up to 14,64,776 after 3,519 fresh infections were reported in the state, it added. The total fatalities due to coronavirus jumped to 17,049 in Bengal since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. In the last 24 hours, 2,068 recoveries have been registered in Bengal improving the discharge rate to 97.4 per cent, the bulletin said. So far, 14,30,949 coronavirus patients have recovered in West Bengal. Accordingly, the number of active cases rose to 20,046. Since Monday, 55,645 samples have been tested in West Bengal taking the total number of such clinical tests to 1,34,05,729.

(With Agency Inputs)